Shannon Bielke, superintendent for fine arts at the Northern Gila County Fair, asks more Rim Country artists to enter work in the 2012 festivities.

“We have lots of paintings, but I would like to see more media represented,” she said.

Bielke hopes many more fiber arts will enter. She said quilters always enter, but it would be wonderful to also have tapestry and batik pieces, plus any mixed media fiber arts and work made using different techniques.

She is encouraging sculptors; potters; and ceramics artists to consider entering work in the fair as well.

Bielke said most of the art young people enter comes from school exhibits, but she urges them to also participate as individuals in the fine arts department. In the past, the children of only a couple of different families have made entries in her department, leaving plenty of room for others.

“It would be lots of fun — delightful — to have a variety of entries in fine arts this year,” she said.

Get a fair book at one of the public libraries, the chamber or the parks office and see how many different categories the fine arts department covers. Divisions include youths, juniors, amateurs, professionals and seniors.

While Bielke wants to encourage artists of all ages and skill levels to participate in the Northern Gila County Fair, she cautions that entries must meet the display requirements.

“I don’t want to be mean about it — and in the past some people have thought that — but the entries have to be submitted in a way that they can safely be displayed. That means no tape and string or saw tooth hangers. Those things won’t hold a work in place,” she said.

The deadline to enter work in the fine arts department — and all non-livestock/small animal departments — is between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 5. Bielke said there could be no exceptions.

The fair is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 7 and Saturday, Sept. 8 and from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 9. Friday and Saturday admission is $1 per person; Sunday admission, which includes the Demolition Derby, is $12 for adults, $6 for ages 3-11; and ages 2 and under are admitted for free.